Citation:For a complex and impeccable rendition of fragmenting family relationships in urban India. The bond between a mother and daughter is extended to a defined space and time, and a drama immaculately constructed.
Citation:For an able translation of a literary work of art, for integrating music with melodramatic narrative and for a cinematic simplicity matched with remarkable directorial control.
Citation:For revolutionising mass entertainment in India with a family entertainer and a fantasy film that succeeds without recourse to familiar narrative idioms of violence.
Citation:For capturing Assamese life and reality in an original format uniquely associated with the director, and for enriching the spectrum of Indian Cinema thereby.
Citation:For mapping a sharply defined dramatic style on to a canvas of national caste oppresion and for unversalising the alliances of the Indian Dalit people.
Citation:For extending the pressing social issue of female infanticide onto a melodrama spanning the canvas of rural Tamil Nadu, a dimension that is now uniquely Bharathiraja signature.
Citation:For recreating a real incident in the social history of Kerala, thereby indicating the continued relevance of gender oppression in traditional caste-dominated society.
Citation:For a stunningly controlled and uniquely cinematic metaphor of rural India and impending environment catastrophe shown with compassion and satire.
Citation:For his impressive portrayal of a man who lives on his own terms. He is able to rekindle in the common man the deep, hidden resource of strength that lies dormant in each one of us.
Citation:For her complete identification with character of lonely doctor. The wide range of emotion is portrayed in a most sensitive and controlled manner in this film.
Citation:In recognition of the outstanding cinematography executed with sincerity, imagination and flexibility. Fluid camera movements, praise compositions, and use of light are the highlights of this visual experience.
Citation:For his masterly use of fiction in cinema, reconstructing pre-1940s Kerala through sharply defined characters and remarkable control over dialogue.
Citation:For the sheer magic of an editing idiom, cut to perfect timing event at a breath taking pace, in sequences that often make the implausible a plausibility.
Citation:For his melodious rendering of his tunes. The music in both the films exhibit originality and creatively highlights the entire mood of the two films, achieving musical harmony
Citation:Through their lyrics, he is able to bring to the fore his rich repertory of poetic expression which sensitively enhances the mood of the films.
Citation:For one of the most outstanding directors of Indian cinema, for sensitively probing the vacuum created in a family, when its central pivot is lost in death.
Citation:For his poignant and memorable role for bringing alive the heartrending agony of a boatman and his grandson, who is not only deserted by his son, but also his life sustaining river – his only source of livelihood.
Citation:For recreating and bringing to life an ambiance and characters that help lend credibility to a difficult and complex scenario. Sensitively handled and a sustained performance where the camera and lights have been used as an extension of the creative story teller.
Regional Awards
The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.[1]
Citation:For the filmmaker's ability to tell a complex tale with minimal canvas, handling the medium with control, restraint and extraordinary sensitivity.
Citation:For a stylised and innovative period rendition of complex social relations in 18th century Bengal, integrating performances with camera movements and mise en scene.
Citation:For adapting a complex and highly applauded novel with a cinematic skill and mastery matching the original work, a translation unusual in contemporary Indian cinema.
Non-Feature Films
Short Films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.
Citation:In acknowledgement of his lyrical evocation of the passage of time.
Best Writing on Cinema
The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.
Citation:For his introspective and self-analytical first person account. Abhinayam Anubhavam is serious and wistful at times, as the actor weaves and interesting picture of his interaction with cinema and his colleagues in the medium. The book is as unusual as it is revealing
Citation:For her perceptive and in-depth analysis of wide-ranging issues related to cinema, both in India and aboard. Her writing is not only well researched and informative but also represents a convincing point of view.
Awards not given
Following were the awards not given as no film was found to be suitable for the award:[1]
